Sea trips resume as storm signal in Bohol lifted

Sea trips resume as storm signal in Bohol lifted

Sea trips in Bohol have resumed after state weather bureau PAGASA lifted the Tropical Cyclone Storm Signal (TCWS) No. 1 in the province late Wednesday morning.

“As of 11 a.m. all trips of vessels from Bohol to Cebu and any neighboring provinces resume na,” said SN2 Michael Coquila of the Philippine Coast Guard Western Bohol.

Storm signal in all destinations connected to Bohol through sea trips including Cebu City has also been lifted.

However, Coquila said that trip schedules may take time to normalize due to the momentary unavailability of vessels which were previously stranded in the various storm-affected provinces.

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According to Coquila, congestion is to be expected in the major ports of the province including in Tagbilaran City, Ubay, Jagna and Tubigon after sea trips in the province were cancelled for over two days leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

Sea trips started to be suspended after a storm signal was raised over northeastern Bohol and later the entire province.

Sea trips for all types of all vessels are automatically suspended once a storm signal is hoisted over a port of origin or a destination.

Meanwhile, there were no recorded sea mishaps in waters surrounding the province when Typhoon Ursula barreled into the Visayas on Christmas Eve and days leading to the holiday.

“Kalooy sa Ginoo yamo g’yuy incidents,” Coquila said.

According to PAGASA, Ursula was last spotted, based on all available data including the Iloilo Doppler Radar, in the vicinity of Libertad, Antique as of 10 a.m.

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It was packing maximum sustained winds of up to 140 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 195 km/h as it moved westward at 20 km/h.

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The storm is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility late Friday or early Saturday.